The story of Miss Kathleen Murray, agricultural pioneer and a woman ahead of her time, reminds us that the power of a woman with skill, determination, and kindness is not to be underestimated in this “man’s world” industry. By Grethe…
In any given set-up, organisation, team or business, different threads connect all the right dots, making it work splendidly. At the farm Laastedrif, at the top of Bo-Swaarmoed in the Witzenberg District, one of these threads was woven by a…
Focus on women in agriculture: Thembi Xaba – Newly appointed CEO of the Deciduous Fruit Development Chamber She’s a golfer, who is still learning scuba-diving and speaks eight languages. This mother of a baby boy is studying towards her Ph.D…
Saul Lintnaar from the Graaff Fruit Farm, Lushof, was a finalist at the Deciduous Fruit Industry Gala Awards 2019 in the category “Advanced Agricultural Worker”. Although he didn’t win this one, he has many awards under his belt. However, awards…
The Koue Bokkeveld Opleidingsentrum (KBOS) does not beat about the bush, mince words or waste time. But they do constantly empower people with knowledge and life skills, Gerrit Rautenbach discovered. I’m on my way to Op-die-Berg and have just begun…
“We are at a historical moment in time to turn the tide against the coronavirus pandemic. The central weapon to achieve this is through mass vaccination that will reduce mortality, protect the health care system from being overwhelmed, achieve adequate…
Nitasha Baijnath-Pillay, Hortgro Resource and Sustainability Manager, shares some tips for growers on how to develop a sustainable perspective on their farms. Having a long-term perspective: Long-term planning, continuous innovation, and sufficient investment in research and development, adopting new technologies and…
By Elise-Marie Steenkamp Five years ago, there was a shortage of difficult-to-root rootstocks and a need to improve the quality and health status of trees in the pome and stone fruit industries. Tissue culture (TC) provided a solution to addressing…
As of January 2022, the Tissue Culture Facility (TCF) at Bernheim Farm, outside Paarl, has added a certified quarantine facility to its operations. This will enable TCF clients to have certified tissue culture material imported to South Africa. This novel…
There is more than one type of transformation in this world. The most important one for the father and two daughters team of Protea farm was to farm for themselves. But then getting new life into old orchards was the…
The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the South African Deciduous Fruit Industry formed a joint venture to commercialise the ARC-bred plum cultivars discussed below. Over the past decade, Culdevco Pty Limited has established itself as a major player in the…
Ever heard of the Newton Apple, Northern Spy, Pomme de Neige, and Cox Orange Pippen? These are but a few of the near-lost apple varieties that are preserved in Tru-Cape’s Heritage Orchard on Oak Valley Estate in Grabouw, of which…